Sewer catch basin unit



Oct. 28, 1952 F. LANE 2,615,526

SEWER CATCH BASIN UNIT Filed Dec. 21 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FRANK LANE 4 f T ORII'EY 5 SEWER CATCH BASIN UNIT Filed Dec. 21, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 50 INVENTOR.

FRA NK LANE 42 Z ATTORNEY f Patented Get. 2 8, 1952 2,615,526 SEWER CATCH BASIN UNIT Frank Lane, Rochester, N. Y. Application December 21, 1950, Serial No. 201,903

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to catch basins for sewers for receiving and discharging the surface Water from streets.

The sediment in the surface water from city streets is carried into catch basins; and sticks, stones, trash and other matter may also find their way into the catch basins. With the conventional construction of catch basins commonly employed for street service, there is nothing aside from the catch basin itself to prevent this matter from being carried off into the sewer where it may lodge, eventually clogging up the sewer. Consequently, the streets and adjacent cellars may be flooded after a heavy downpour of rain.

With conventional catch basin construction, moreover, it is necessary periodically for workmen to dip out the collected sediment and water from the catch basin with shovels and buckets. This is a slow, disagreeable operation. Moreover, in a long dry spell the water caught in the catch basin will remain there, and will become more and more foul every day, throwing ofi foul and offensive gases. Even when the catch basin is cleaned this foul water is removed with the debris and is customarily deposited in the street where it separates from the heavy sediment and flows back again into the catch basin. Furthermore, with the present catch basin construction, rats which are naturally unclean animals and which apparently would prefer to drink sewer water instead of clean surface water, can readily get down into and out of sewers thereby the more readily spreading disease.

One object of the present invention is to provide a catch basin construction which will trap surface sediment, sticks, stones, trash and other debris, which may be carried off by surface Water from city streets or otherwise get into a catch basin, and prevent this material from getting into the sewer or the sewer laterals.

Another object of thepresent invention is to provide a catch basin having means for trapping sediment and debris and for holding said sediment and debris above the level of water in the catch basin to prevent fouling of the water by decomposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for use in sewer catch basins which will hold and retain sediment and debris but not interfere withthe free flow of water to the catch basin and to the sewer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable receptacle for catch basins, which will catch and hold any sediment and debris that may get into the catch basin, and which may 2 periodically be removed from the catch basin for cleaning.

A further object of the invention is to provide a removable receptacle of the character described for a catch basin, which may be secured to the grate or cover of the catch basin, so that it may be removed from the catch basin by lifting the grate or cover.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle for catch basins of sewers which may be readily lifted out of the catch basin and which has a door or gate in its bottom for removal of the contents of the receptacle conveniently and quickly.

Another object of the invention is to provide, a receptacle for acatch basin of a sewer which may be used in any conventional catch basin Without the necessity of changing the brick or masonry or the gutter stones around the catch basin.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking the grate or cover of the catch basin in position to prevent children or. other unauthorized persons from attempting to remove I from the catch basin the grate and the receptacle attached thereto. 1

Another object of the inventionis to provide for use in the laterals which run from the catch basin to the sewer a resistor to rats and sewer odor.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a device for use'in laterals runningfrom a catch basin to a sewer which will prevent rats; which may get into the sewer, from getting out.

of the sewer again.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from thev recital of the appended claims.

In the drawings: I

Fig. l is afragmentary vertical'sec'tion showing a catch basin, Ia'sewer lateral communicating therewith, thegrate or cover for the catch basin; a receptacle constructed according to one em-.;

bodiment of this invention secured to and depending from the grate or cover,"and a rat and sewer odor resistor madeaccording to one em. I

bodiment of this invention mounted in the lateral;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, with parts broken away of;

the grate and receptacle; i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectionish owingparticularly the mounting of the lock bar space the angle irons 24 apart.

' 29 form the bottom of this basket.

catch basin cover or grate and the lock bar therefor in locked position;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the resistor to rats and sewer odor; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through this resistor.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, II) denotes the walls of a conventional sewer catch basin such as may be provided in a street or roadway. I I denotes one of the laterals or conduits leading from this catch basin to the main sewer. I2 designates the cover or grate for the catch basin; and I4 denotes the frame in which the cover sits. This frame may be wholly in the street or roadway, or a portion of the frame may be underneath the curb and a portion in the street or roadway. In either case the cover or grate I2 is fitted into a portion of the frame from which it may be removed without hindrance. The frame I4, which may be of conventional construction, is provided internally with spaced vertically-extending lugs I5 on the tops of which the grate or cover I2 seats. The frame I4 is further formed with the conventional external flange I6 around which the brickwork or masonry may be built to hold the frame in the catch basin. The grate or cover l2 shown is rectangular in shape, but may be of any suitable shape to fit the opening in the frame in which it seats.

Secured by means of nuts 20 (Fig. 2) in countersunk holes 2i (Fig. l) in the four corners of the grate or cover I2 are four rods 22. These rods are threaded at both ends, and depend from the catch basin cover I2. They serve to support two parallel angle irons 24 (Figs. 1 and 2) and two parallel angl iron spacing strips 25 which Nuts 23 which thread onto the bottoms of the rods 22 serve to hold the angle irons 24 and 25 on the rods; and the positions of these angle irons vertically on the rods can be adjusted by threading the nuts 23 up or down.

Fastened to angle irons24 and 25 in any suitable manner as by riveting, or brazing is a heavy copper mesh or galvanized mesh screening 21. This surrounds the rods 22 and is open at both ends. Hingedly connected to the angle iron 24 by means of hinges 32 and 33, respectively, are two lightweight galvanized metal sheets 23 and 29. The screening 2?, angle irons 24 and 25, and

' sheets 28 and 29 together form a basket which is designated as a whole at B. The plates 28 and These two plates are adapted to be secured together in a horizontal position, to close the bottom of the shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottom of the basket is held shut, while when the looped member 30 is turned to register with the slot 3|, it can be passed through the slot 3i, and the plates '28 and 29 can be swung open as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Anything which is carried by surface water into, or which is dropped in the catch basin, which should not be carried into the sewer, is caught in the basket B. It is retained in the basket, while the Water freely flows through the screening 27 on into-the catch basin and sewer. Whatever is caught in the basket can be retrieved upon emptying the basket. While the side walls of the basket are shown as made of screening,

4 they might be made of perforated copper or galvanized iron sheets. The purpose of the basket is to retain debris and the larger sediment while permitting surface water to flow on into the sewer.

To prevent children or other unauthorized persons from attempting to lift the catch basin cover, a lock bar 35 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) is provided. This is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a stud 36 that threads into the cover or grate I2. It is adapted to be engaged at its ends in grooves or recesses 37 cut into opposite lugs I5 of the frame I4. By reaching down through one of the slots 39 of the grate l2 this lock bar 35 can be swung on its pivot 36 to disengage it from the lugs I5 and permit the grate I2 with the basket B attached thereto to be lifted out of the catch basin by means of a hoist or other suitable means and raised over a truck so that upon opening the doors 28 and 29 of the basket the contents of the basket can be dumped into the truck to be hauled away. The lock bar 35 is made narrower than the bars of the grate I2 so that the lock bar is not visible from above when locked. When an unauthorized person tries to lift the grate out, then, he will not be able to determine what is holding th grate and after a few tries will be discouraged from trying to remove it.

Great difiiculty is always experienced in the city with rats getting into and out of sewers and carrying disease from the sewers. The receptor basket B will to some extent prevent the rats from entering the sewer. However, rats are wily animals and they may be able to get by the receptor basket. I have therefore provided a means which will trap any rat that gets into a sewer lateral and prevent the rat from getting out of the sewer lateral and catch basin again. This means comprises a light gauge metal cylinder 40 (Figs. 1, 6 and '7) which may vary in size to fit the internal diameter of the lateral II. This cylinder 40 is open at one end. Hingedly mounted in its opposite end by means ofhinges 42 are two doors 43. Each of these doors i resiliently held closed by a pair of natural or artificial rubber bands 45 and 46. Each band. 45 is secured at one end by means of a screw 47 to one of the doors 43.; and each band 46 is also secured at one end by means of a screw 48 to one of the doors. The two bands 45 and 46 of each pair are then secured together at their opposite ends to the inside of the cylinder 40 by a screw 49'. Thus, the resistors are resiliently heldclosed but may be opened against the resistance of the, rubber bands as shown in dotted lines in Fig 7.

The resistor or cylinder 40- is placed in the lateral so that the cylinder forms a conduitthrough which the water may flow. The arrow 50- (Fig. 7) denotes the direction of how of the water. The pressure of the water willopen the doors 43;. The resistance of the rubber bands 45 and 46: may be adjusted in accordance with the desired resistance to flow of the water. The rubber'bands 45 and 4.6 will permit a rat to push the doors open and enter the sewer lateral II, but when the rat attempts to get back out of the sewer into the catch basin, the hinges 42- will hold the doors firmly against being swung inwardly into the cylinder 40. Hence, the rat cannot, once it has entered the lateral, get out again.

Light gauge metal reinforcing strips 52- may rubber gasket (not shown) may also be provided between the contiguous edges of the doors. With a rubber gasket between the doors 63, escape of sewer gases will be prevented so that the resistor 40 not only will prevent rats from leaving a lateral after they have gotten into it, but will prevent the sewer gases themselves from escaping into the catch basin and out to the street.

The resistor may, if desired be employed in laterals running from houses. In this case the open end of the cylinder 40 will be located adjacent the house and the doors distal therefrom so that a rat may enter the lateral through the doors but cannot return to the house. In either case, whether the resistor is employed at the catch basin end of a lateral, or at the house end of a lateral, it will be positioned so that the flow of water will enter first the open end of the cylinder 40.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that surface water flowing from the street through the holes in the grate I2 drops into the basket B, and that any sediment or debris carried by the water, or dropped into the catch basin, will remain in the basket while the water itself drains through the perforations in the basket into the catch basin, all of the solid matter bein left in the basket. From the basket the liquid runs out into the catch basin and thence through the doors 43 of the resistor or trap 40 into the lateral'on to the sewer.

The provision of the receptor basket obviates the necessity for a workman going down into a catch basin to clean the catch basin out. It deters the formation of foul water in the catch basin thereby improving the sanitary conditions. With the present invention any undesirable material is caught in the receptacle B; and a man with a hoist can lift the catch basin cover and receptacle out of the catch basin in a fraction of the time required for emptying a catch basin by present methods which entail use of several men. Furthermore when the receptor basket is removed, a workman can reach down into the lateral and see that the cylindrical resistor is in proper working order. Obviously, the depth of the basket can be varied as desired.

From the above it will be seen, then, that I have provided a sanitary improvement for catch basins which will prevent sediment and debris from clogging a sewer, which will permit ready removal of the sediment and debris from a catch basin, which will deter creation of foul water in a catch basin, which will prevent foul odors from the sewer itself escaping into the catch basin and out to the street, and which will enhance the sanitary and health protection of a city by preventing rats from going into a sewer and then carrying sewer diseases out to the public.

While the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be unlerstood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any adaptations, uses, or modifications of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the 6 essential features hereinbefore set forth and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a sewer catch basin having an inlet opening, and a removable perforated cover closing said opening, of a receptacle secured to the cover to depend therefrom and to be removable therewith, said receptacle comprising a plurality of spaced rods secured to said cover and depending therefrom, a frame carried by said rods at their lower ends, a bottom door hingedly connected to said frame, and perforated material secured to said frame to extend thereabove and to constitute the side walls of the receptacle.

2. The combination with a sewer catch basin having an inlet opening, and a removable perforated cover closing said opening, of a receptacle secured to the cover to depend therefrom and to be removable therewith, said receptacle comprising a plurality of spaced rods secured to said cover and depending therefrom, perforated side walls enclosing said rods, a frame carried by the rods and secured to the side walls at the bottom thereof, a pair of doors hinged to the frame and constituting the bottom of the receptacle, and means for securing the doors together in closed position.

3. The combination with a removable grate for a sewer catch basin, of a receptacle secured to said grate to depend therefrom and to be removable with said grate from the catch basin, said receptacle being approximately coextensive in area with said grate to catch anything entering the catch basin through the grate, said receptacle comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced rods secured to said grate and depending therefrom, a frame suspended by said rods, means on said rods for adjusting the distance of said frame below said grate, a door hinged to the frame and forming a bottom for the receptacle, means for holding said door closed, and a foraminous screening secured to said frame and to said rods and forming the side walls of said receptacle.

FRANK LANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 530,816 Wright Dec. 11, 1894 961,834 Barlett June 21, 1910 965,836 Ray July 26, 1910 1,312,711 Vert Aug. 12, 1919 1,661,983 Wentzel et al Mar. 6, 1928 1,774,793 Egan Sept. 2, 1930 1,982,555 Van der Horst Nov. 27, 1934 2,071,160 Boosey Feb. 16, 1937 2,092,492 Akers Sept. 7, 1937 2,102,310 Egan Dec. 14, 1937 2,524,242 Weaver Oct. 3, 1950 2,550,402 Boosey Apr. 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 106,071 Germany Nov. 11, 1899 

